| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Maitre Cornelius by Honore de Balzac: commander of his troops in Flanders); having established his authority
everywhere, and now meditating ameliorations in his kingdom of all
kinds, he saw time slipping past him rapidly with no further troubles
than those of old age. Deceived by every one, even by the minions
about him, experience had intensified his natural distrust. The desire
to live became in him the egotism of a king who has incarnated himself
in his people; he wished to prolong his life in order to carry out his
vast designs.
All that the common-sense of publicists and the genius of revolutions
has since introduced of change in the character of monarchy, Louis XI.
had thought of and devised. Unity of taxation, equality of subjects
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: is permitted to enjoy the comfortable conviction that he is beating
the man who keeps the table.
INSURANCE AGENT: My dear sir, that is a fine house -- pray let me
insure it.
HOUSE OWNER: With pleasure. Please make the annual premium so
low that by the time when, according to the tables of your
actuary, it will probably be destroyed by fire I will have
paid you considerably less than the face of the policy.
INSURANCE AGENT: O dear, no -- we could not afford to do that.
We must fix the premium so that you will have paid more.
HOUSE OWNER: How, then, can _I_ afford _that_?
The Devil's Dictionary |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Koran: teaching the Book and of what ye learn.
He does not bid you take the angels and the prophets for your lords;
shall He bid you misbelieve again when you are once resigned?
And when God took the compact from the prophets '(this is) surely
what we have given you of the Book and wisdom. Then shall come to
you the Apostle confirming what is with you. Ye must believe in him
and help him.' He said, moreover, 'Are ye resolved and have ye taken
my compact on that (condition) They say, 'We are resolved.' He said,
'Then bear witness, for I am witness with you; but he who turns back
after that, these are sinners.'
What is it other than God's religion that they crave? when to Him is
The Koran |
